Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 216 210. Shooting at a Congressman's Mansion
Just as Hayashi Ryoma was explaining to the arriving police officers how the unfortunate Kiichiro Numabuchi attempted to challenge the gun with a dagger, a large force of Osaka Prefectural Police had already searched the hut where Kiichiro Numabuchi was "hiding".

While discovering the cabin, they also found clues that made them feel "creepy".

In the small house next to Minoo Falls, the Osaka Prefectural Police did find evidence that Kiichiro Numabuchi was hiding there. In the same small house, there was more evidence that the wanted criminal Kiichiro Numabuchi was not just hiding there.

He was imprisoned here.

Many traces in the hut indicated that the person hiding there had been illegally detained for a long period of time. This discovery directly overturned the Osaka Prefectural Police's suspicion of the serial killer.

Because of the important discovery made by detective Sakata of the First Investigation Division of Tojiri Police Station about the relationship between several deceased persons, Kiichiro Numabuchi, a wanted criminal at the same time as the deceased persons, became a major suspect in the serial murder case.

But the discovery in the hut completely overturned this suspicion - judging from the traces in the hut, Kiichiro Numabuchi had been imprisoned in this place for quite a long time.

Even when the first murder occurred, Kiichiro Numabuchi was already imprisoned here.

How could the imprisoned Kiichiro Numabuchi go to Osaka and commit four consecutive serial murders?
It is obvious that Kiichiro Numabuchi is a scapegoat caught by the real murderer of the serial murder case.

This discovery is nothing special for ordinary criminal police. After all, solving a case is like this. Sometimes newly discovered clues can completely overturn the original reasoning.

But when this situation was reported to Ginjiro Toyama, the suspicion of a detective who was pointed out by Hayashi Ryoma began to rise sharply.

"Heizo, Kiichiro Numabuchi has been captured. To be more precise, he was shot dead."

Having already learned the "full picture" of Kiichiro Numabuchi's death from his subordinates, Ginjiro Toyama reported this to his superior and good friend Heizo Hattori.

The information heard from his subordinates was repeated by Toyama Ginjiro to Hattori Heizo, including but not limited to:

In Officer Dalong's police car, Lin Longma heard that a wanted criminal was found near Minoo Waterfall and reinforcements were needed.

After arriving near Minoo Waterfall, Lin Ryoma, his secretary and bodyguards stayed on the outskirts of the scene, while Officer Oolong went deep into Minoo Waterfall to provide reinforcements.

The Osaka Prefectural Police's search team completed the encirclement of Minoo Falls, but did not notice that Kiichiro Numabuchi had already left their encirclement and came near Hayashi Ryoma and his group.

Hayashi Ryoma and his two companions encountered Numabuchi Kiichiro head-on.

After fruitless negotiations, Kiichiro Numabuchi launched an attack on Hayashi Ryoma. The bodyguard Shiraishi opened fire to protect Hayashi Ryoma and shot Kiichiro Numabuchi to death.

A search team from the Osaka Prefectural Police found a cabin near Minoo Falls and discovered evidence inside the cabin that Kiichiro Numabuchi had been imprisoned for a long time.

"So Sakata has a really big problem. And President Lin, he came to Osaka at our invitation, but he encountered this situation."

Hayashi Ryoma's experience did not arouse Hattori Heizo's suspicion, mainly because it was Hattori Heizo who arranged for Officer Olong to send Hayashi Ryoma and his party to the Hattori family residence.

Sudden calls for help in the car are also uncontrollable events.

The most important thing is that the reason why Kiichiro Numabuchi appeared in front of Hayashi Ryoma and his group was ultimately due to the mistake of the Osaka Prefectural Police.

When facing a vicious wanted criminal, there is nothing wrong with Shiraishi's bodyguard opening fire to protect his boss.

Therefore, the shooting of the wanted criminal Kiichiro Numabuchi was completely legitimate, just, and necessary under the conditions at the time.

Not only will Hayashi Ryoma's driver Shiraishi not be held accountable, he may even be able to get the bounty on the wanted criminal Kiichiro Numabuchi.

Most importantly, the Osaka Prefectural Police search team "cleared" Kiichiro Numabuchi of suspicion in the serial murder case, and Officer Sakata, who had single-handedly led Kiichiro Numabuchi to become a suspect, became the most prominent one. "By the way, have you found out the information about Sakata?" Hattori Heizo asked Toyama Ginjiro.

"I'll go ask." Toyama Ginjiro hung up the phone with Hattori Heiji, and then called his subordinates to ask.

Since Sakata himself is a member of the Osaka Prefectural Police, it is not difficult to investigate his information.

Some information that was not made public was also dug up as quickly as possible due to the joint orders of the two big bosses, Hattori Heizo and Toyama Ginjiro.

Sakata's original surname was Inaba, which was also the surname of the coach among several driving school students who died at the same time 20 years ago.

20 years ago, six people, Nagao, Nishiguchi, Noyasu, Okazaki, Goji, and Numabuchi, graduated from the driving school.

On the day the six people graduated, the driving school instructor died in a car accident due to drunk driving.

A criminal police officer went to the driving school to inquire about the situation back then, and the feedback he received was that colleagues at the driving school who still remembered Coach Inaba said that Coach Inaba was a very serious person back then, and also a "devil coach."

They simply didn't believe that Coach Inaba would drive after drinking, but unfortunately all the evidence at that time (mainly witness testimony) pointed out that the car accident was caused by Coach Inaba driving under the influence.

The witnesses are: Nagao, Nishiguchi, Noyasu, Okazaki, Goji, and Numabuchi.

Now Nagao, Nishiguchi, Noyasu and Okazaki are already dead, and Kiichiro Numabuchi has long been imprisoned as a "potential serial killer."

The only one left alive was councilman Sotaro Goji.

Although the murderer's method is still unclear, it doesn't matter. The suspicion and motive of Sakata, the key suspect, have skyrocketed.

"Heizo, this is the situation. I'm on my way to Goji Sotaro's house now. I hope I can make it in time."

Toyama Ginjiro said quickly to Hattori Heizo.

"I understand. I will contact Sotaro Goji." Although Hattori Heizo did not go to Sotaro Goji's house, his words as the chief of the Osaka Prefectural Police still carried a lot of weight in the eyes of the congressman.

"Then please."
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When Ginjiro Toyama and the Osaka Prefectural Police's convoy arrived at the door of Sotaro Goji's house, the Goji family was already in chaos.

After getting off the car, Toyama Ginjiro couldn't help but frown at the messy scene in the courtyard.

Then his phone vibrated.

"Heizo, what's going on? I think the situation at Goji's house might not be good."

"It's not good. When I called, someone from Goji's family said that Goji Soutarou seemed to have been called away.

Then I heard a few gunshots.”

"I understand. Leave the rest to me." Toyama Ginshiro sighed lightly, but it was still a little too late.

Toyama Ginjiro narrowed his eyes and said to his men, "Come on, prepare to break the door!"

"Yes, Minister!"

(End of this chapter)